Wire and sleeve connecter tool



March 5- J. P. WHALAN ET AL 1,994,973

WIRE AND SLEEVE CONNECTER TOOL Filed April 6, 1954 1 Hung;

' gSosephRWhalan, L oms T. Harkness,

NVENTORS the wires.

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES ,WIRE AND SLEEVE Joseph P. Whalan and L CONNECTER Tool. ouis T. Harkness, Jamestown, N. Y., assignors to Crescent Tool Company, Jamestown, N. Y

.Applicatioh April 6, 1

934, Serial No. 719,399

3 Claims. c1. 140 118) This invention relates to clamping devices and it has particular relation to tools for clamping and twisting together wires, or like elements, with other elements to which itis desired to connect One object of the invention is to provide an improved tool which is adapted to facilitate the splicing or inter-connection of wires and sleeves inclosing the wires and which can be operated in a relatively small space without inconvenience to the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire clamping and twisting device in which a handle for operating it is incorporated in such manner as to be movable to various positions for the purpose of avoiding obstruction with reference to other wires, etc., adjacent the location of operation of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide cooperating elements between clamping portions of the twisting tool to prevent binding of any of the operating parts and to insure preliminary clamping motion without danger of slipping or accidental displacement of a y of the operating parts.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a wire and sleeve connecting tool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tool illustrating its open position incidental to its operation; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the tool illustrating coacting engagement of operating parts thereof. 7

A wire sleeve and connecting tool 10 embodying the invention comprises a pair of clamping jaws 11 and 12 that are hinged together by means of a pivotal connection 15 that is provided in an ear 16 at one end of the one jaw lland in a bifurcated end portion 17 of the corresponding end of the other jaw. Thus the opposed portions of the jaws can be pivotally actuated toward and away from each other until they are in parallel relation and contact with each other (Fig. 3), or swung to open position (Fig. 2) wherein a corner of stop lug 18 of the jaw 12 contacts an adjacent face 19 of the jaw 11 to limit opening pivotal movement of the jaw 12 to its position shown in Fig. 2. Opposed portions of these jaws are provided with oblong complemental recesses 20 graduated in size from one end of the jaw structure toward the other and the upper end of the jaw 12 has a lateral lug 21 formed thereon.

At the upper end of the tool there is mounted a pair of links 22, each of which is pivotally mounted at one end upon a pivotal connection 23 provided in the upper end of the jaw 11. The other end of each of these links has a pivotal connection 25 adjacent an end portion of a cam lever 26'that is provided with a handle 27 and cam lug 28 formed integrally with and at an angle to the handle 27. A" rounded cam face 29 is formed upon the outer end of the cam lug and a notch 30 in the cam lug is formed at one extremity of the cam face 29. The curvature of the cam face is described by a radius of less length than the distance from theaxis of the pivotal connection- 25 to the central portion of the cam face. The end of the clamping jaw 12 opposite the pivotal connection 15 is normally disposed in clamping relation between the links 22 and between the upper end of the jaw 11 and the cam lug 28. The outer or upper edges of the links '22 are provided with angular lugs or flanges '32 that are adapted to abut or rest upon the endof the jaw 12. When the handle 27 is actuated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3

to the full line position of Fig. 2, the upper end of the jawcan be released from between the links 22.

A pair of spaced sleeves or barrels 33 are formed integrally at opposite end portions of the jaw 11 and ahandle 35 is slidably disposed through these sleeves; Opposite ends of the handlc are provided with steps or enlarged heads 36 to prevent the handle from slipping in either direction from the sleeves. Preferably this handle is composed of insulating material or is provided with an insulating covering. In order to maintain the handle against accidental slipping from any given position in the sleeves, a leaf spring 37 is secured, as indicatedat 38,'to the back of the jaw 11 and bears against'theshank of the handle in order to maintain it yieldably in any desired position with respect to the jaws.

In the operation of the" tool, a pair of .wires 40 are threaded through a sleeve 42 and the jaws ll and 12 of the tool are swung opento the position indicated in Fig. 2 to providefree access to the recessesZO for disposing the sleeve 42' and wires therein. The sleeve is then engaged in one of the recesses 20, depending upon the size of the wire and sleeve, and by bring ing the jaws to the broken line position shown in Fig. 3, the lug 21 formed on the end ofv the jaw 12 is disposed in the notch 30 of the cam lug for the purpose of preventing slipping and providing proper purchase in actuating the handle 2'7 and jaw 12 in a clockwise direction. In further moving the handle 27 in a clockwise dithe flanges 32 prevent pivotal movement of the full line position and the jaws are temporarily locked tightly about the wires and sleeve.

In the clamping relation of the'tool parts links 22 in one direction and the lug 21 acting against the cam lug preventstheir pivotal movement in the other direction. In releasing the jaws from the wire and sleeve, the handle 26 actuated in a counter-clockwise direction, the cam face rides upon the end portion of the jaw 12 adjacent the lug 21, but is prevented from tendency to slip toward the end of this jaw by the lug 21, and hence counteracts any tendency toward excessive binding of the parts when the jaws are released, regardless of whether the releasing action applied to the handle 2'? tends to pivot the links in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivotal connection 23. Thus the sleeve and wires can be very rapidly clamped by operation of the cam lever 26 in one direction,

and on the other hand, can be very rapidly re.- leased by actuation of the cam lever in the opposite direction while the cam face snaps into or out of firmly locking engagement with the upper end of the jaw 12.

The application of the tool is similar, to that disclosed in our co-pending application Serial No. 681,187, filed Ju1yl9, 1933, and as explained in that application, very satisfactory results can be achieved by employing two of the tools 10, one applied as described, to each end portion of the sleeve 42. Then by utilizing the handle 35 of each tool and imparting a rotary movement to the tool about the axis of the wires and sleeve, the latter are firmly twisted together. One, tool at one end of the sleeve can be manipulated while -a like tool applied to the other end of the sleeve can be held firm to eifect the desired twisting together of the wires and sleeve, or a tool at each end of the sleeve can be manipulated simultaneously in opposite" directions of rotation. 7

When the wires are in a restricted location or a number of wires are strung close together, the handle 35 extending in one direction from the tool can be used to turn the jaws until an obstruction is encountered and then the handle is slidably guided through the sleeves 33 to a position suitable for continuing the turning or rotary motion of the tool and, at the same time, avoiding the other wires or obstructions. In this manner, if necessary, the tool may be repeatedly turned through 360 degrees, and thus the desired twisting and securing of the wires and sleeves can be accomplished. Since the handle 35 is composed of insulating material or is insulated, itscontact with the other wires is not dangerous and also avoids short circuiting between wires which may be located immediately adjacent the workingarea of the tool.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In awir'e and sleeve connecting tool, a handle supporting jaw, a handle slidable from one end portion to the other in the jaw, a clamping jaw having a hinge connection to the handle supporting jaw, a link pivoted to the handle supporting jaw normally overlapping the clamping jaw-in clamping relation of the two jaws, a cam lever mounted upon the link and movable into camming contact with the clamping jaw tolock the two jaws against separating movement, said link and cam lever having means for maintain.-

ing the link positively against pivotal movement in opposite directions when the lever is in locked position and said link being releasable by movement of thecam lever from locked position.

'2. In a wire and sleeve connecting tool, a pair of oblong jaws having a hinge connection adjacent one extremity thereof, a bar handle slidably mounted in one of the jaws, the other jaw having a lateral lug thereon at the extremity thereof opposite the hinged connection, a link structure connected to one of the jaws and a cam lever pivoted to the link structure and having a cam lug engageable with said lateral lug in partially open position of the jaws to draw the jaws in closely clamped relation when the cam lever is actuated, said link structure being maintained against pivotal movement in one direction by contact with the outer end of one of the jaws, and said link structure being maintained against pivotal movement in the other direction by looking of the cam lug behind said lateral lug.

3. In a wire and sleeve connecting tool, ahandle supporting jaw, a handle slidable from one end portion thereof to the other in the jaw, a clamping jaw having a hinge connection to the handle supporting jaw,'a link pivoted to the handle supporting jaw and-overlapping the clamping jaw in clamped relation of the two jaws, an angularlug formed on the link for abutting contact with the one of the clamping jaws, a cam lever mounted upon the link and having an angularly disposed cam lug formed with a cam face and with a notch, said clamping jaw having a lateral lug for engagement with the notch of the cam lug and serving as a stop to prevent outward pivotal movement of the link when the jaws are in clamped relation, said angular lug ,on the link maintaining the link against pivotalmovement in the other direction in the clamped relation of the jaws.

JOSEPH P. WHALAN. LOUIS T. HARKNESS. 

